Hobie Cat Forums

i guess.............. i have to winterize my boat i feel dirty saying it, but I have a few questions about what to do:
1. I was just wondering if anyone else has gotten the bright idea to spray their vinyl trampoline with some kind of teflon spray to protect it? It sounds like a good idea, but a new trampoline is also 400 big ones.
2. Also, how does everyone store their mast for the winter? obviously not up, but if there's anything special to do about it? Especially because i cant get all of the water to drain out.
3. Is there a way to completely dry out my hulls? it gets pretty cold up here, and I want those suckers to be bone dry.

Thanks for your help!

OK, I live in San Diego so take this advice for what it is worth.

First, take the tramp off. I have to assume that you live where there is snow. The weight of wet snow may damage the hulls so save the tramp and your hulls by taking the tramp off. Second, store the boat with the plugs out and the boat angled to allow water to drain when not frozen.

The mast is easy, first, drain the water. If you have drill a rivet size hole to drain it, do so. You have to drill above the internal foam plug seals or all you will have done is drain the small enclosed space below or above the plug (this may be important too). Then, store the mast horizontal with the track down. This will keep any water from freezing in the track, and allow any water in the mast to freeze in a way that will not expand and break the mast. If the mast is stored at an angle, and there is enough water to fill the circumference of the mast, the ice will expand when freezing, causing the mast to crack. There is no where for the ice to expand.

I hope this warm weather advice helps.

Oh i already took the tramp off, sorry for not specifying, but i meant just spraying a protective spray on it while it sits during the winter

I too must eventually come to the realization that the summer does not last forever. Here is what has worked for me. First Remove tramp. Don’t roll it or fold it if it’s an old boat like mine. I installed some concrete screws in the basement to hang the tramp pieces on the wall from the grommets. Second remove the mast and all cables lines etc... Store all this inside along with a properly rolled sail and boom where it won’t experience the major temp swings (-30F). Then use a scrap piece of rope (close line from hardware store) and tie it across the empty frame using 2 half hitches so as to keep the frame completely together while you store it. I park my boat in the yard for the winter so after positioning it I place cinderblocks under the trailer frame to completely lift the tires off the ground. Then remove the tires and store them in the basement as well. Thirdly remove the drain plugs completely they will be the breath hole for the expansion of water or snow that will get into the hulls for the winter. Then I take the rudders, bridle cables, and lugs for side shrouds and store them with the cables in a Rubbermaid container in the basement as well. Finally I take clear silicone and dab it on every hole in the hull so as to completely plug them. I don’t want any water making it under the layers of glass and causing delam at critical points. Silicone is also easily removed in the spring with a screwdriver or drill bit. As for the mast; I hang it horizontally track side up or down doesn’t appear to matter in my case on the fence alongside the boat. Thus you are left with a very sad looking striped down Hobie frame on a redneck looking trailer with no tires and a mast hanging beside it for the winter. It is a sad sight but by January it doesn’t matter because the 6 feet of snow in the yard last year had it completely disappear from sight. Then come spring the snow slowly melts away revealing your speed machine ready to be all redressed for the New Year. If you have any other questions please let me know. Somewhere I even have pictures of everything. Sorry for the long post.

I put mine inside where its warm for the winter......

Vince42 - Teflon spray on your vinyl tramp...I don't think it's a good idea. You removed your tramp from your boat, so I assume it'll be stored indoors until the weather warms up again in the Spring. That's all you should do.
Teflon spray on your tramp makes it look good, but it's really a bad idea. Too slick once you start using it again. Better to just wash it with a mild detergent after winter storage.
Richard

Ditto on what others have said- if you've removed the tramp from the boat, you've done all you need to do. Don't spray it with anything, just store it somewhere safe. Which leads to the next point, make sure you store your tramp, sails, lines, and sailng clothes in a place that is safe from mice. If you store the soft goods in an attic, garage, trailer box, or shed, there's a good chance you may find it's been chewed up by mice when you take your gear back out in the Spring.

As for getting your hulls dried out, the easiest way is to install an access port behind the front pylon. This will let you dry the boat out really well and then close it up before storing. Otherwise, there's really no way to ensure the boat is dry. Opening the drain plugs and tilting the bow up will get most of the water out, but the hulls will more or less always be damp inside.

sm

Iteresting comments on things I had never thought about. I have a big garage I plan to store it in, but it is not heated in any way. It has a loft where I can store the sails and mast to keep them out of the snow, but it will get cold in there and it may have mice. I hadn't thought of the mice, so maybe a good sailbag would protect them?

I also hadn't thought of pulling the tramp. How important is this? It doesn't look like they have every been taken apart, but who knows. That seems like a lot of work to pull apart and put together again in the spring. Do you replace the lacing each year?

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Steve
1979 Hobie 16 "Orange Crusher"

If you're storing inside, you don't need to remove the tramp. The main purpose of removing it is so snow doesn't build up - the weight can crush the hulls where they sit on the trailer.

I haven't had problems with mice (yet), but a few moth balls scattered around and some D-con boxes in strategic locations tend to take care of them quickly.

Mice will chew right through your sail bag, no question.

sm

Thanks guys, D-con and moth balls it is. The more I think about it, the more concerned I am, since this won't be a wintertime only concern. I should have thought about it this summer, too.

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Steve
1979 Hobie 16 "Orange Crusher"

I live in Louisiana, so the weight of snow on the tramp isn't a concern. However, way up here in the great northwestern part of the state, the temperature will drop into the teens on several nights during our harsh winters. And I mean "harsh". Sometimes we cancel school just on a forecast of an inch of snow. Brrrrrrr! My question: should I remove the trampoline? Does a cycle of freezing and thawing several times over the course of the winter have an adverse impact on it? I have boats with vinyl and mesh tramps if that makes a difference. My 16 just came home from the NACs where Mike Madge got it nice and tight, side bars slightly bowed, and I'd rather not have to reaccomplish that chore in the spring. On the other hand, will leaving the tramp that tight all winter just cause it to stretch and get loose again anyway. I look forward to your advice.

Thanks,

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Mark Van Doren
Division 9 Chairman
H20 #647
H14 #47787
H16 #112205

I've got my boat way up in northern minnesota, where it gets very cold. What I have done in the past is just loosen the drain plugs tipped it up until the water stopped running out, then I left the drain plugs loose so they can breath and most of the leftover water will evaporate, and what I did for two years is put two hooks on the side of my cabin under the sofets and hung the mast on their, I then tipped the cat against a tree and tied it to the tree so it wouldn't blow over. That worked great for the two years I did it, but then I decided instead of carrying the boat all the way to a tree, I just built a tee pee type frame out of 2x4's and then put a tarp over it, and that worked just fine for the last 5 years.

Hi Mark,are climate up here in the Great white North is a little harsher then yours .My boat is covered but outdoors and leaving the tramp on has caused no issues.